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Neck Pain

Neck Pain: The Facts

  • Neck pain afflicts almost ¾ of adults at some point
  • For nearly 1 in 6, the pain is chronic
  • 10% of whiplash patients will be disabled
  • 50% of whiplash patients continue to have some degree of neck discomfort

Your Neck: The Basics

  • The Cervical Spine
  • Seven small neck bones
  • Numbered C-1 to C-7
  • Called cervical vertebrae
  • Inside lies the spinal cord, which continues down the neck and back
  • The vertebrae are connected to each other by discs, ligaments, and tendons
  • Between the vertebrae are openings where nerves, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, fat and connective tissues are found

Neck Pain: Signs and Symptoms

  • Neck pain may come from regions near the neck, such as the jaw, head and shoulders
  • Problems in your neck make other parts of your body ache, such as upper back, shoulders and arms
  • If you nerves are involved you may feel numbness, tingling or weakness in your arms or legs

Neck Pain: Possible Causes

  • A variety of factors can cause neck pain, including poor posture, muscle strain, narrowed disc space, herniated discs and pinched nerves
  • Repeated or prolonged movements that strain the neck’s muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones or joints
  • Injury, infection, chronic disease, nerve root, spinal cord or disc problems, or arthritis
  • Minor injury to the soft tissue of the neck
  • Disc degeneration or herniated disc
  • Osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis
  • Fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis
  • Sudden injury such as whiplash, direct blow to the neck, a fall, dislocation of the spine, broken/fractured bone of the spine
  • Torticollic
  • Illness such as the flu or inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
  • Infection or tumor in the neck area
  • Referred pain from muscle tension, migraine headaches, heart attack
  • Medication side effects

Neck Pain: Different Forms

  • Acute Neck Pain
  • Sudden pain, usually after an injury
  • If accompanied by neurological symptoms or signs of a heart attack, immediate medical attention is needed
  • Chronic Neck Pain
  • Persistent pain that tends to recur

Neck Pain: When to Seek Advice

  • Severe pain from injury
  • After a head or neck trauma, such as whiplash or blow to your head
  • Severe pain over a bone might indicate a fracture or an injury to a ligament

Shooting pain

  • Indicates nerve irritation
  • Can last 3 to 6 months or longer
  • Neck Pain: When to Seek Advice

Loss of strength

  • Weakness in the arm or leg, signaled by dropping things, walking with a stiff leg and shuffling your feet, indicates need for immediate evaluation

Change in bladder or bowel habits

  • Could Indicate a neurological problem

Pain for more than a week or two

Neck Pain: Treatment

  • Applying ice to relieve pain and inflammation
  • Pain relievers or muscle relaxants
  • Yoga, exercise, physical therapy
  • Chiropractic care
  • Massage Therapy
  • Homeopathy
  • Reducing activities that aggravate the condition

Neck Pain: Prevention

Most neck pain is associated with poor posture

GOAL: Keep your head centered over your spine

Some simple changes in your daily routine can help:

  • Take frequent breaks
  • Do not sit in one place for a long period of time.
  • Keep your head back, over your spine, to reduce neck strain
  • Balance your base
  • Stretching muscles of the chest and strengthening the muscles around the shoulder blade and back of the shoulder can promote a balanced base of support for the neck
  • Stretch and exercise frequently
  • Stretch and strengthen to balance your muscle groups
  • Shrug your shoulders up and down
  • Pull your shoulder blades together and then relax
  • Pull your shoulders down while leaning your head to each side to stretch you neck muscles
  • Eat smart and drink water
  • Good nutrition and staying well hydrates are important to stay healthy and vital in the healing process
  • Avoid sleeping on your stomach
  • This position puts stress on your neck
  • Choose a pillow that supports the natural curve of your neck
  • Avoid too many pillows
  • Avoid tucking the phone
  • Use a speakerphone or headset – do not cradle the phone in your neck

Whiplash: What is it?

  • A soft tissue injury of the neck and characterized by a collection of symptoms that occur following damage of the neck, usually because of sudden extension and flexion
  • A rapid movement that injures the vertebrae of the neck and the muscles and ligaments that support them
  • Called Cervical Acceleration/Deceleration (CAD) trauma or syndrome
  • The peak onset of whiplash symptoms is generally 72 hours
  • Commonly occurs as the result of an automobile accident
  • Can injure intervertebral joints, discs and ligaments, cervical muscles and nerve roots

Whiplash: Symptoms

Symptoms can occur directly after or may be delayed for several days

  • Neck stiffness and tenderness
  • Injuries to muscles and ligaments
  • Headache and dizziness
  • Abnormal sensations (burning, prickling)
  • Shoulder or back pain
  • Memory loss, fatigue, depression, sleep disturbances, blurred vision

Most recover in a few months

Approximately 1 out of 4 people with whiplash report symptoms for much longer

Depends on a few crucial factors

  • 13 whiplash studies revealed slower recovery times for older and female patients who have had head, neck or chronic pain

Whiplash: Treatments

Can play a key role in avoiding long -term problems

  • Pain medication
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Muscle relaxants
  • A cervical collar (worn for 2 – 3 weeks)
  • Range of motion exercises
  • Physical therapy
  • Cervical traction
  • Supplemental heat application

Chiropractic Solution

According to a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine, chiropractic may offer the best opportunity for relief from the pain of whiplash

Results show that:

  • 85.5% of participants reported “some benefits” under chiropractic care
  • 33.5% improved by two symptom grades
  • 31% were relieved of all symptoms
  • Chiropractic treatment is particular well-suited to relieving neck pain and other debilitating effects of whiplash because they can:
  • Restore movement lost after the accident
  • Overcome muscle weakness and enhance muscle tone
  • Speed recovery
  • Diminish chronic symptoms that can persist or recur over many years

Chiropractic Care

A chiropractic spinal check-up is one of the best things you can do. Chiropractic’s safe, gentle methods have helped millions of sufferers over the years. Doctors of chiropractic free your body from the vertebral subluxations complex that has the power to destroy your health. When freed of subluxations, your body works more efficiently to use its natural energies to heal itself.

Nervous System

  • The centre of the NS is the brain.
  • Sends and receives messages through a network of nerves
  • The spinal cord is comprised of nerves which runs down the centre of the spine.
  • Along the spinal cord smaller nerves branch out.
  • This network of nerves allows the brain to communicate with every part of the body.

Vertebral Subluxation

  • Involves misalignment and loss of movement of a bone in the vertebral column
  • Causes interference to the nervous system and results in the body’s inability to function at its optimum potential
    Causes: TENSION, TRAUMA, TOXINS

Tension (mental and emotional)

  • Lead to inappropriate muscle and hormonal imbalances
  • Arise from issues involving relationships, finances, employment, loss of health, physical or mental abuse and fatigue

Trauma (physical)

  • Gross Macro-trauma: Incident so traumatic that you are likely to be aware that it happened
  • Birth process, falls, lifting injuries, sport injuries, motor vehicle accident
  • Repetitive Micro-trauma: Ongoing, subtle, obvious incidents
  • Poor posture when sitting, standing, lying, exercising, sleeping or driving

Toxins (chemical)

  • Includes environmental pollution, industrial/household cleaners, poisons, allergens
  • Dietary toxins like caffeine, genetically altered foods, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, and pesticides
  • Medications, performance enhancing drugs, antibiotics, vaccines, and recreational drugs


References:

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2005). What a pain in the neck! Retrieved from: http://www.aapmr.org/condtreat/pain/necktips.htm

MayoClinic (2005). Neck pain. Retrieved from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=5BC9D9EA-B51C-442A-84799C5E74121B45&dsection=1

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2005). Whiplash information page. Retrieved from: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/whiplash/whiplash.htm

Spineuniverse.com (2005). Albert, T., M.D. Whiplash: Neck trauma and treatment. Retrieved from: http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php./article1536.html

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